​​Netlify Support Goals

​​Enable customers to more easily and fully use our service

  • ​​We can achieve this in several ways, for example:
  • ​​improving our documentation to be more discoverable:  having discoverable documentation, including search improvements, FAQ listings, in-app help, offering suggestions when submitting tickets, etc
  • ​​simplification of user interface & removal of technical barriers to usage 
  • ​​proactive suggestions for success:  
  • ​​answering unasked questions (“I noticed your configuration is suboptimal”, “when you finish integrating with GitHub, you also get automatic Deploy Previews!” “have you tried our CMS?”)
  • ​​automated communications such as feature notifications of unused features

​​Deepen the connection between Netlify and the customer

  • ​​Let’s be the cool uncle, supportive grandma, and kind cousin.
  • ​​embracing advocates - thanks/kickbacks/swag for referrals
  • ​​connecting ambassadors with marketing opportunities: like testimonials & case studies
  • ​​responding compassionately via social media
  • ​​showcase the successes of our customers (eg: Site of the Week)
  • ​​Hoped-for result: turn customers into advocates and promoters

​​Facilitate actionable feedback

  • ​​from customers to all teams (how features are used, what people wish for, what’s broken)
  • ​​from the team to customers (how we will grow, how to connect, how to best use service)

​​Keep the customer in mind when making decisions 

  • ​​We all want to ship new features and make more money.  All of our actions need to consider the customer point of view and use case.
  • ​​Enable the customer to feel like a badass.

​​Help ourselves succeed in future customer success & sales efforts

  • ​​This is largely about internal practices:
  • ​​react to support trends constructively (don’t just answer tickets - fix problems instead!)
  • ​​document repeatable actions where possible (leave notes for your teammates & future self)
  • ​​bring all teammates to a shared understanding of best practices (internal & in-product)

​​Grow our customer handling in skill and effectiveness

  • ​​learn from our mistakes, improve on our successes.
  • ​​create the tools we need to succeed - from trend visualization to helper apps and beyond.
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​​Retain our existing customer base

  • ​​Keeping (& growing) what we have is easier than finding more.  Leverage all of the above goals to achieve this
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​​Additional reading

  • ​​https://www.helpscout.net/blog/after-sales-service/ - Makes the point that what sales and support should be incentivizing is customer retention - because that is the opposite of churn and is “one in the hand” vs X in the bush.  Can be a good mission for both halves of the equation (rather than sales:growth as support:solved cases)
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